Tobacco lath



Dec. 30, 1924-.

1.. c. EDWARDS TOBACCO LATH Filed March 6, 1922 avwmtoz L. LT [OM/A R05 Patented Dec. 30, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,521,683 PATENT oesics.

' LOUIS C. EDWARDS. or nnnins'ron, CONNECTICUT,

TOBACCO LATH.

Application filed March 6,- 1922. Serial No. 541,380.

' new'and useful Improvements in Tobacco Lat-11s; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Will'enable others skilled in the-art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 1

This invention relates to an improved tobacco lath and one object of the invention is to provide a tobacco lath which is so constructed that the tobacco leaves may be suspended from the lath inspaced relation thus permitting the leaves to be hung up in a curing room and when hung up positioned in spaced relation to each other so that air may circulate freely around the leaves and thus permit the tobacco to be cured in a Very efiicient manner;

Another object of the invention is to so construct this lath that each lath may have openings formed therein with prongs at opposite sides of the openings so that when the tobacco leaves are suspended from these prongs, the openings will provide space to permit the air to pass freely through the laths and thus prevent the formation of what would be substantially a partition in the drying room with the leaves suspendcd from it as would be the case it solid. laths were used and the leaves suspended from these solid laths. By permitting air to pass through the laths which always accumulates in the upper portion of a room will be prevented from forming beneath the laths and causing the leaves to sweat and thus deteriorate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tobacco lath in which two leaves may be passed through each of the openings at one time and then drawn downwardly and moved away from each other as they are moved downwardly so that the two leaveswill be engaged by the prongs at opposite sides of the opening at one time.

Another object of the invention is to so constructthis lath that it may if desired be formed entirely of metal out to provide the openings and opposed prongs and the prongs then bent to the desired shape and position'or in another form provided with a body strip formed of wood or other suitable material and provided with openings throughout its length, portionsol the strip between the openings being straddled by clips having their end portions extending into the openings and provided with prongs bent to assume the desired position.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the metal lath. i

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the metal lat-h.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the wooden lath provided with the openings and the tobacco holding clips.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional View through the wooden lath. I

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the clips.

Figure '6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing a modified form of cllp.

The tobacco lath which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is formed entirely of sheet metal and will be in the form of a sheet metal strip 1 having the necessary length and at points throughout its length out to provide openings 2 and prongs 3 at the ends of the openings. These prongs 3 are twisted adjacent their inner ends so that they are positioned in a vertical plane instead of a horizontal plane. and are further twisted with an upward twist so that when twisted they extend upwardly above the horizontal plane of the lath and between the upwardly extending side flanges 4 which extend longitudinally of the lath and are formed by bending the-sheet metal strip 1 longitudinally at opposite sides of the openings 2. By having the prongs twisted with an upward twist they will be so formed that whenvthe tobacco leaves are pressed upon them, these leaves will be suspended from the prongs and not liable to accidentally slip off of the prongs and drop upon the floor.

In the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4c, the

lath 5 is formedot wood or other suitable material and willbe provided throughout its length with openings 6 spaced apart the proper amount. The tobacco holding clips 7 which are formed of sheet metal straddle the wooden laths between the openings 6 and have their depending arms 8 extending into the openings and out from their free end portions to provide prongs 9 which are twisted with an upward twist so that theywill extend from the arms 8 as shown clearly in Fig. 4. After the clip has been put in place, a portion thereoi which forms an anchoring prong 10 will be struck inwardly to extend into the body of the v lath between the openings 6 and thus firmly hold the clip in place. Instead of having the clip provided upon each arm 8 with two prongs 9 as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5', this clipmaybe formed as shown in Fig. 6 with eacharm provided with a single prong 9. formed by simply twisting the taperedlower end portion of the prong so that it will extend upwardly in a vertical plane. The anchoring prong may be formed intermediate therwidth' of each arm 8 as shown in Fig. 5

l or it may be formed by cutting a prong forming portion 10 from one side of the side arm 8 so that this anchoringprong 10' will be positioned above the leaf-engaging prong. 7

When this tobacco lath is in use, it wil besupported above atableby suitable sup-.

ports which will engage the ends of the lath and the-tobacco leaves. The workmen will pick up two of the tobacco leaves from the work table and place them back to back with the butt ends extending upwardly. These leaves are then passed upwardly through one of the openings in the laths until the butt ends of theleaves extend about an inch above-the laths. A finger is then passed downwardly through the opening and between the extended end portions of the leaves and this will cause the portions of the leaves which extend through the openings to be moved apart and onto the prong at the opposite side-s of the opening. The two 7 leaves will thus. be suspended from the prongs and when the laths are placed in the .curing room, the leaves Wlll be suspended in-spa'ced relation to each other and openings will be provided so that air can sides of the openings and disposed at an upward [incline and terminating short of the upper plane of the lat-h.

. 2. A tobaccolath comprising a strip having openings formed therein iii-spaced relation, and prongs extending from the sides of the openings and twisted transversely and upwardly to provide-prongs disposed in a vertical plane and extending upwardly from the sides of the openings A tobacco lath comprising a stri ha-ving openings formed therein in spaced re lation, and clips straddling the strip between the openings and having arms extending into the openings and having port-ions bent-to provide prongs extending inwardly of. e l

4. A tobaccolath comprising a strip having openings formed therein inspaced relation, and clips straddling the strip-between the openings and having arms extending into the openingsand having portionsrbent to provide prongs-extending inwardly of the openings, the prongs beingtwisted adjacent their junction with the arms and extending of the openings from opposite sides there upwardly and disposed in a vertical plane.

5. A tobacco supporting clip comprising .a U-shaped strip having iport-ionsi of its arms tapered and twisted transversely and upwardly to provide leaf penetrating.

prongs extending outwardly and upwardly from the arms in vertical plane.

6-. A tobacco lath comprising a strip having openings formed. therein, and clips straddling the strip between the openings and having arms extending into the openings, and prongs extending from said arms inwardly of said openinga V '7.- A tobacco lath comprising :a strip having openingsspaced longitudinally of the" strip and intermediate the width thereof,

and rigid spurs carried by the stripand extending into 7 the openings from opposite V sides thereof.

. 8. 1A tobacco lath comprising a strip having tobacco receiving openings spaced longi- V tudinally of the strip, and rigid tobacco engaging spurs extending radially into the openings from opposite sides thereof and terminating in spacedrelation to each other extending longitudinally of the strip.

9. A tobaccoilath having cutouts spaced longitudinally of the lath, and tobacco holdingelements carried by andextending longitudinally of the lath between the openings and'having tobacco-engaging end portions extending into theopenings in opposed relation.

my hand.

LOUIS c. EDWARDS.

, no In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 

